The first time I'd ever heard of a Pousse Café was while watching a soap opera. A character meant to be a lady who lunched was trying to seduce someone (her bodyguard, her daughter's husband? I don't recall) with two perfectly layered cocktails. Her intended love target had never had one, but he succumbed to her drink and later, her charms. The strange name always stuck in the back of my head, and when years later I spied a Pousse Café layering tool for 25 cents at a garage sale, I bought it. ... Quick Read

When you hear "mead," perhaps you think of medieval monks sipping the sweet honey wine as they pore over illuminated scrolls. In fact, mead's origins are in Africa and Asia, report the experts at Maine Mead Works, "where it was used for medicinal and ceremonial purposes." Now you can pick up a mead kit and make your own batch, then try these summer mead cocktail recipes from Colorado's Redstone Meadery. Meadmosa, anyone? My friend Katie spent two years as a volunteer in Africa. "When I was in ... Quick Read

While many of the foods associated with Fourth of July barbecues, picnics, and potlucks are a bit fatty or sugar-laden, there are plenty that are great for you. Here are three of my favorites, below. Watermelon: As noted in our recent article on Surprising Superfoods, this July 4th fave is a wonderful source of vitamin A and C, as well as potassium, and the antioxidant lycopene. Plus it's low in calories and hydrating. Eat it by the slice or try it in one of Epi's healthy watermelon recipes ... Quick Read

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) was warned more than a decade ago that meat from cows showing symptoms of bovine tuberculosis (bTB) should be heat treated to safeguard consumers from the risk of infection. ... Quick Read